Bourgeois Vintage OM Eastern Red Adirondack Spruce

You can think of the Vintage OM as a smaller version of the Bourgeois Vintage D--or maybe it's the other way around. The OM, you see, is really where it all started. Here's what Dana has to say:

"Back in the early 80's I had a great opportunity to work on very many pre-war OMs. Due to their lack of metal neck reinforcement, almost all were totally unplayable. They had probably been so for quite some time, which would explain why, as a group, they appeared to be in otherwise spectacular condition. In spite of appearances, however, most of these guitars didn't sound as good one would expect. Over time I found that stabilizing the rigidity of the neck and setting it to the proper complimentary angle--relative to the degree of flexibility of the top (or it's present state of deterioration, in some cases--could transform a ho-hum OM into a monster. Remember, these are small guitars. I found that the best OMs can sound almost as big as a dreadnought, but you've got a much narrower window in which to make all the parts work as a unit."

The Vintage OM is a culmination of Dana's two decades of experience in repairing, restoring and building the legendary Orchestra Model. This model comes standard with an Adirondack Spruce top, and is appointed identically to the Vintage Dreadnought, with ivoroid binding, herringbone top trim, short pattern squares and diamonds inlays, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage style top toner, and nickel Waverly tuners. Premium, straight-grained Indian Rosewood on the back and sides keep the low end strong without overpowering the definition of the mids and highs.

Because of it's characteristic superb balance, clarity of voice, as well as sustaining top register, the OM was once thought of as the quintessential fingerstyle guitar. However, it is not surprising that many players these days realize that these same characteristics are also highly employable for a variety of applications. The Adirondack top has enough power to easily be strummed, while the Adirondack bracing contributes to the clear top end on this one!

This guitar sounds very open and powerful, thanks to Dana scalloping both sides of the X-brace, a feature he only does on OM models, due to the smaller body size. Midrange and treble frequencies are clear, distinct, and pure. Due to Dana's use of tap tuning each top to optimize every guitar, this instrument is incredibly responsive to fingerstyle playing. Chords are distinct, while bass lines have a defined poignancy. The Satin finished neck is comfortable in your hands, while the effortless playability across the neck will allow you to play for hours without fatigue.